PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., on Thursday signed a measure aimed at ensuring the courts have guaranteed, automatic funding, and greater control over their budget into law, in a bid to strengthen judicial independence and efficiency.
Speaking at Malacañan Palace alongside leaders of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, Mr. Marcos said the law puts “safeguards in place so that the Judiciary can work more efficiently and more independently,” noting that democracy thrives when the law is applied equally and without “fear or favor.”
The Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act, which enters the books as Republic Act No. 12233, mandates that the judiciary’s proposed budget be transmitted directly to Congress and included in the national budget as submitted.
Funds will be released automatically every month, while the Chief Justice may, through an en banc resolution, reallocate resources within legal limits to priority needs such as hiring more personnel, courtroom repairs, or system upgrades.
The Supreme Court (SC) will be required to submit quarterly reports to both the executive and legislative branches detailing how the funds are spent, a provision Mr. Marcos said promotes “transparency and accountability” and reinforces the system of checks and balances.
The measure also establishes a Judiciary Trust Fund to allow the courts to use collected fees to address urgent needs.
It enables the Supreme Court to reorganize offices, speed up hiring, and decentralize operations to bring services closer to the public.
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said the reform addresses long-standing budgetary hurdles that have hampered operations and modernization under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027.
“The Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act significantly supports the SC’s ongoing modernization efforts under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027 (SPJI),” the SC said in a separate statement. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
